ife remained
there loose among the congealing blood, showing that it had not been
licked. Rube's obvious conclusion was that it was not an animal, but a
man she had attacked; that she had bitten him severely, and that he had
used his knife in defending himself. But who that man might be, or why
the hound should attack him, Rube could not even conjecture.

It was a dark night, and Rube was sound asleep in his bunk, when Kiddie
changed ponies at Sweetwater Bridge on his eastward-bound trip; but
Kiddie made time to ask Abe Harum if Sheila had returned.

Abe told him that she was then in her kennel, but added nothing about
her condition. On the following day, however, when he returned home
for a spell of rest, it was Rube who met him on the trail.

"Seems Abe told you as the hound had come back," began Rube. "It was
my fault she followed you. I couldn't hardly help lettin' her loose.
Thar was no holdin' her in. She got up t' you, then? How long was she
gettin' abreast o' you? I guess you hadn't gotten far, eh? Gee! how
she did cover the ground!"

"Why," Kiddie answered, "she was alongside o' me inside of six miles
from here. Good going, wasn't it?"

"Sure," agreed Rube. "But she didn't come back so quick, Kiddie,
nothin' like it. Did yer know she'd a cut on her shoulder?"

"Eh--a cut?" Kiddie started in vexed surprise. "Is it bad?"

"Oh, no," Rube assured him, "makes her limp some. But I've doctored
th' wound, an' it's gettin' along all right. Come an' have a squint at
it."

He brought the dog out, giving no expression to his own theory. Kiddie
examined the wound.

"Cut of a knife," he decided immediately.

"Thar was blood on her mouth," said Rube. "I washed it. 'Twasn't her
own blood."

"Then they sure got to close grips," concluded Kiddie, "and I guess he
got as much as he gave. She'd make for his throat, but I'm figurin'
that he'd put up an arm to protect himself. His left arm, most like,
as he'd use his right for the knife. We gotter keep our eyes open for
a man with a lame left arm, Rube."

"Didn't yer see him, Kiddie?" Rube questioned.

"No."

"Then how d'you know anythin' about it? How d'you know it was a man as
done it? How d'you know she didn't kill him outright, same's she'd
kill a stag? An' why did she go for him, anyway?"

"She went for him because I sent her into the forest after him," Kiddie
explained. "The scoundrel shot a poisoned arrow at me. And, having
myself